30 | And shortly whan the sonne was at reste | |
| So had I spokyn with hem euerichon | |
| That I was of hir feleship anon | |
| And made forward erly forto ryse | |
| To take our wey there as I you deuyse | |
35 | But natheles whiles that y haue tyme & space | |
| Or that y ferthir in this tale pace | |
| Me thynketh that it were accordaunt to reson | |
| To telle you al the condicion | |
| Of eche of hem so as it semed me | |
40 | And whiche they were and of what degre | |
| And in what aray eke they weren ynne | |
| A | Nd at a knyght I wil begynne | |
| A knyght ther was a worthy man | |
| That fro the tyme he first began | |
45 | To riden out he loued chyualrye | |
| Trouthe and honour fredom and curtesye | |
| Ful worthy he was in his lordis werre | |
| And therto hadde he riden noman ferre | |
| And as wel in cristendom as in hethenesse | |
50 | And euer hadde honour for his worthynesse | |
| At alisaundre he was whan it was wonne | |
| Ful ofte tyme he had the boord begonne | |
| Abouen alle nacions in pruce | |
| In lettowe hadde he reysed and in Ruse | |
55 | No cristen man so eften tymes as he | |
| In granade at the sege eke hadde he be | |
| In algrith hadde he riden and in belmarie | |
| At cartage was he and eke at satalye | |